Introduction

Sony's ticking along nicely and it's almost hard to believe this is only its second season on its own. Having finally made their presence felt in the premium end, the Japanese are showing enviable focus and determination in bringing the middle ranks up to date.

The good thing is they have a solid foundation to build on and the Sony Xperia L looks ready to take advantage. It picks up exactly where the Xperia U left off and tries to fix only what needed fixing, without overspending on gimmicks. A bigger screen, beefier battery and still resolution up from 5 to 8MP are things we wouldn't say no to. Yet, the expandable memory is what seems to be the most exciting piece of news.

Sony Xperia L official photos

The Xperia L is about to enter a segment that saw some of Sony's most compelling performers last year. This is no small responsibility but the L seems to have the right tools for the job. It comes across as one of the hottest prospect in Sony's lineup - one that's more likely to pleasantly surprise than disappoint. Let's take a closer look at what the Sony Xperia L has to offer.

Main disadvantages

No 1080p video capture, poor video quality

No Mobile BRAVIA engine

Sub-par viewing angles

Rather big and heavy for its display size

The Sony Xperia L obviously cannot escape the issues that even the flagship had to deal with. In honesty though, it's a lot easier to get away with less than stellar contrast and viewing angles in the midrange. No Bravia and lower ppi than the Xperia U are the only things that don't sound right when you look at the lists above.

This was a compromise obviously that had to be made and the reasoning must've been that screen size is what ultimately matters in this price range. Elsewhere though, the Xperia L is clearly superior and in ways that will make a real difference to the majority of users.

The Sony Xperia L at HQ

OK, a good enough display and adequate processing power are a start. The styling of the Bond phone was readily available - no points for creativity but in the end, the Xperia L has good looks and character with minimum effort. That's the thing here, Sony makes upgrading look so easy and it's a skill that sometimes evades even the most talented competitors. Let's see though if the Xperia L can keep it up. Make sure to check back in after the break.